


A Couple of Blokes

by willowwand



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-11 01:14:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7019323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willowwand/pseuds/willowwand
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Half-Blood Prince Missing Moment. On the evening Gryffindor wins the Quidditch Cup, Ron and Harry have a discussion about the events of the day, including Ron's growing feelings for Hermione. </p>
<p>First published on the now-defunct R/Hr (Romione) site Checkmated on March 14, 2006.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Couple of Blokes

There was still a loud celebration going on in the Gryffindor common room. Ron knew it was probably his duty as a prefect to put a stop to it, but as none of the other prefects, save Hermione, were trying, he wasn’t going to bother with it either. The party had been going on since the afternoon. He knew that eventually they were going to run out of food and Butterbeer, and go to bed.

 

Hermione couldn’t complain much since he had already fulfilled one of his duties earlier by handing out a detention. Sure, it was to that prat McLaggen, but the git shouldn’t have been trying to break his record of how many doxy eggs he could eat.  Although, Ron thought the idea of McLaggen sick in the hospital wing had its benefits as well.

 

After an hour of trying to get everyone to go to bed, and an hour of being ignored by nearly the entire population of Gryffindor house, a frustrated Hermione went to bed herself. Once Hermione left, Ron didn’t feel there was any point in sticking around himself. It was down to going upstairs and trying to sleep, (or maybe composing a letter to Charlie detailing some of the spectacular saves he had made that morning) or staying in the common room where Lavender had been glaring at him all night.

 

It really wasn’t that difficult a choice.

 

Ron made his way into the room where the sixth year boys slept. He rummaged through his trunk for his pajamas and threw them onto his four-poster bed. He was just about to change into them when he heard the door open and close behind him.

 

“Oi,” Harry said. “Seamus said that you and Hermione had both gone up to bed. Did you have a row or something?”

 

“No, we didn’t have a row. Why would you think that?”

 

Harry shrugged “You’re always at each other’s throats over something.”

 

“She was a little miffed that I wouldn’t help her send everyone up to bed,” Ron admitted. “But I think she conceded defeat on that one. She was angrier with everyone else for ignoring her. She just said goodnight and went upstairs.”

 

“Why did you come upstairs?”

 

Ron shrugged. “Hermione went up to bed and you were still gone. Anyway, I’m knackered. It’s been a long day.”

 

“Too right it has. I don’t know if they’re going to wind down anytime soon, though.”

 

“Well, it is the second year in a row we’ve won the Cup.”

 

“Yeah,” Harry sighed.

 

Ron nodded his head knowingly. “The second time you missed it as well. It’s a shame, too. You should have seen Ginny. I’ve never seen her fly like that. She did this incredible Wronski Feint, better than that Bulgarian git’s at the World Cup. You should have seen the look on Cho’s face after Madam Pomfrey revived her. She was furious.”

 

Harry blushed. “I know. Ginny told me.”

 

Ron gave Harry an appraising look. “So, you and my sister, eh?”

 

“Yeah, I s’pose so.”

 

“I reckon I have to give you the big brother speech and have done with it. Mind, you may have to hear it at least four more times.”

 

“I figured as much,” Harry replied, a little nervously.

 

Ron glared at Harry for moment, then his composure broke and he burst into laughter. “I’m kidding, mate.”

 

Harry smiled gratefully.

 

Ron looked serious for a moment. “But if you hurt her, best mate or no...”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Good….So, how did all this happen?” Ron asked, part of him wondering if he even wanted to know.

 

Harry shrugged, looking sheepish. “I dunno…she’s, er, cool, you know?

 

“What can I say? She’s a Weasley,” Ron said, smirking as he took off his robes and threw them on the floor.

 

“Then how did you get to be such a git?”

 

Ron threw his pillow at Harry.

 

“Ouch. That hurt.”

 

“It was just a pillow. Be lucky I don’t have my wand handy,” Ron grinned.

 

Harry rolled his eyes and stretched out on his bed. He sat in silence for a few minutes, seeming to contemplate whether to say something. “So, what about you and…”

 

“Soon.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah,” Ron said thoughtfully, taking his time pulling his pajama shirt over his head. “I just have to wait awhile. It hasn’t been that long since Lavender and I broke up. I don’t want Hermione to get the wrong idea.”

 

“I don’t know Ron. If you keep waiting…”

 

Ron hesitated, running his hand through his mussed hair. It had taken him two years to realize how he felt about her. He wasn’t about to wait around and let another Krum or McLaggen beat him to the punch again. He frowned, shaking the thought of Hermione with another bloke out of his head. 

 

“I, er, just want to make sure that she and I are okay first,” he said carefully.  “I really stuffed it up with the whole Lavender thing.”

 

“Yeah, you did. You really hurt her, Ron.”

 

“I know. I was a right prat.”

 

“You were a lot worse than a prat,” Harry said, with a slight edge in his voice.

 

Ron looked a little surprised at Harry’s tone. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again. “I know. I don’t deserve her.”

 

“That’s true,” Harry grinned.

 

“Oi!” Ron said, with a devious smile. “Don’t make me rethink the whole situation between you and my sister. I’ll send an owl to Fred and George, then we’ll see who’s laughing.”

 

“They’ll tire of it eventually, especially when you finally decide to ask out Hermione.”

 

“I don’t mind that. I can handle those two.”

 

“Oh, can you?”

 

“Well, Hermione can in any case. Worse than Mum, that one,” Ron joked.

 

Harry laughed. Ron climbed into his bed and leaned back against his headboard, watching his friend getting ready for bed.

 

“So you’re really okay with me and Ginny?” Harry asked.

 

“Better you than Dean or that prat Michael Corner,” Ron replied. He hesitated for a moment. “Er, if I…well, when I ask Hermione…will you be okay with that?”

 

Harry looked taken aback at the question. “Yeah, maybe I won’t have to hear you two bickering as much.”

 

Ron laughed. “I doubt that. Haven’t you ever seen my mum and dad? They’ve been in love for _ages_ and they still row from time to time. ”

 

Harry broke into a grin. “Ron, don’t tell me…”

 

“What?”

 

“You love her.”

 

“What? No!” Ron sputtered. “I mean, I f-fancy her... But, love? I don’t...”

 

Harry smiled. “I was kidding, Ron.”

 

“Oh, yeah,” he said, his face very red. “I know.”

 

Ron looked down at his bedspread. He certainly hadn’t expected Harry to say something like that. Ron knew that it wasn’t too far from the truth, but he wasn’t ready to admit it yet, not to Harry, not to Hermione, not even to himself.

 

Just then, the dormitory door swung open and Neville, Seamus and Dean walked in, saving them from the awkward silence.

 

“Oi, what happened?” Ron asked, seeing the disgruntled looks on their faces.

 

“Professor McGonagall,” Seamus growled. “Sent us all to bed.”

 

“She threatened to put us all in detention for the rest of the term if we continued,” Neville added.

 

“Maybe then I’d have someone to keep me company,” Harry joked. “Besides Snape, I mean.”     

 

Dean shot a contemptuous look at Harry and forcefully drew the curtains around his bed. Harry looked guilty, but Ron grinned at him, reassuringly. 

 

“How would you like McLaggen for company?” Ron asked. “I gave him detention this afternoon.”

 

“For what?” Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Hang on,” Ron said, pulling his leather-bound Prefects rule book from his discarded robes. He flipped through the pages. “Er, here it is… possession of a banned substance.”

 

Harry’s eyes grew wide. “Banned substance?”

 

“Doxy eggs,” Ron explained, rolling his eyes.

 

The other boys roared with laughter.

 

“I can’t imagine _you_ giving anyone a detention,” Neville said incredulously.

 

“Yeah, well. It’s about time I take my, er, prefect responsibilities seriously,” Ron said, avoiding Harry’s eyes.

 

“Well it’s been a long day,” Harry said. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

 

Ron looked up, as Harry drew the curtains. Harry nodded, acknowledging their discussion.

 

Ron smiled and closed the curtains around his own bed. He crawled under the cool, soft covers and felt his eyelids begin to sag. He thought of Hermione cheering him on in the stands earlier that afternoon and smiled.

 

_Soon_ , he thought. _Can’t wait too much longer_.

 

With that final thought, Ron drifted off to sleep.


End file.
